


That's When I'll Stop Loving You

by BadWolfRose (BadWolf1988)



Category: 30 Rock, NCIS, Smallville
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Family, Fluff, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-14
Updated: 2016-12-19
Packaged: 2018-08-15 00:01:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 14,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8034154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BadWolf1988/pseuds/BadWolfRose
Summary: Gibbs and Maci have both loved and lost before. Can they find it in themselves to try again...with each other?COMPLETE





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I am in no way connected to NCIS, 30 Rock, or Smallville and I am not making money off of writing this. I am just feeding my sick obsession for older men. With Alan Rickman gone, all I have left is Mark Harmon and Joe Mantegna (and if you have caught all of the Criminal Minds drama recently, you know that I won't have Agent Rossi much longer either because that show will NOT last without Morgan and Hotch). 
> 
> Author's Note: This story is a Gibbs/OFC pairing. If this is not your thing, you know how to use the back button. You've been warned so please no flames...although winter is on its way and I could use them to keep warm.
> 
> Author's Note II: This story is a crossover with Smallville. It also crosses over with 30 Rock slightly but that is simply because of Maci's job and the fact that I have been binge watching the show on Netflix and no one can make me laugh like Tracy Morgan. ("We're on a show within a show! My real name is Tracy Morgan!" "Pacman! I'm Jewish!") The Smallville details in here are all AU. Obviously, the only cousin Clark has is Kara. He has no human cousins on the show. Lex is married to Chloe in this universe and still best friends with Clark who's secret he knows. And to those, like myself, who were never very fond of Lana Lang, she exists but doesn't play a big role in this story or the characters lives. She didn't even date Whitney. The Oliver Queen in this story is the Smallville Ollie. This doesn't cross over a third time with Arrow, I promise. The only thing that is the same is the name of the son, William. And I'm going to be honest, it was an accident. The boy's name was Henry in the original draft until I realized that I had already used Henry in another story.
> 
> Author's Note III: This story was inspired by the song That's When I'll Stop Loving You by *NSYNC but this is not a song fic and I don't own the song...obviously.

He noticed her the moment she stepped out of the elevator and judging by the goofy looks on their faces, so had DiNozzo and McGee.

She wasn't tall but she wasn't short either. She wasn't dressed like an agent but she wasn't made up like a Barbie Doll. She was dressed in a pair of form-fitting blue jeans that did nothing to hide the fact that she had a rather delicious backside. She paired this with a tight, red button-down blouse and black high-heeled boots. With the fit of her shirt, it was easy to tell that God had blessed her top half as well as her bottom half. She had her ginger hair pulled up in a half ponytail so Gibbs could clearly see her face. If there was only one thing he would remember about this woman, it was that she had the most unusual and oddly beautiful violet eyes.

His eyes followed her as she made her way up the stairs and disappeared behind this door of Vance's office.

DiNozzo was close to drooling when he said, "Boss, please tell me that Christmas has come early and that woman is a new recruit?"

Casually strolling over, Gibbs smacked the younger man upside the head. "Not for this team and if she was...what's rule twelve again?"

DiNozzo sighed and rolled his eyes. "Never date a co-worker."

Gibbs phone went off with a text message from Director Vance demanding his presence in his office.

"Vance needs to see me. When I come back I'd like to you see you actually working," He directed his comment at Tony as he strolled off towards the Director's office.

DiNozzo threw a wadded up piece of paper at Ziva's desk to get her attention the moment that Gibbs was out of sight.

"What?!" She looked up and snapped.

"Someone has a crush," He sang like an eight-year-old girl.

He pointed towards their boss's empty desk.

"Gibbs? On whom?" Ziva gave him a look that clearly said that she thought he was insane.

McGee sat at his desk shaking his head at DiNozzo and staying out of the conversation. He knew no good could come from gossiping about the boss.

"Elizabeth Taylor," He replied.

"You are telling me that Gibbs has a crush on a dead film actress?" Ziva was now officially confused and slightly worried for DiNozzo's sanity.

DiNozzo rolled his eyes with a bit of dramatic flare. "No, the woman with the violet eyes in Vance's office,"

"Okay, but what does that woman have to do with Elizabeth Taylor?" McGee joined the conversation out of pure confusion.

"Elizabeth Taylor was famous for having violet eyes...and lots of husbands, but, you know what? Forget Elizabeth Taylor, the point is..."

"Forget Elizabeth Taylor? I met her when I worked on a documentary about her. She was a very sweet woman," A soft, feminine, mid-western accent laced voice chided.

"And what is the point, DiNozzo?"

Oh, that was so not a voice that DiNozzo wanted to hear and Gibbs took silent glee in the other agent's panic.

"The point is that Elizabeth Taylor was an icon who will be missed terribly," DiNozzo said in a rush attempt to cover his ass. "What's up, boss?"

"Anthony DiNozzo, Ziva David, Timothy McGee, I'd like you all to meet Maci Kent. She'll be tailing and documenting the team for the next few weeks."

"Why?" McGee asked. "Are we under review, boss?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Miss Kent is a TV producer for NBC working on a documentary about the history and inner workings of NCIS that's going to air over Memorial Day weekend next year. Vance has ordered that she be given full access,"

"Welcome, Maci," Ziva gave the other woman a polite smile.

"Thank you and I wish I could stay and get to know everyone but I have a son who's not capable of looking after himself just yet and a nanny that charges obscene overtime rates," She looked at them apologetically.

"I'll walk you to the parking garage," Gibbs placed a hand at the base of her back and led her to the elevator.

DiNozzo shot Ziva an I told you so look and mouthed, "Red hair,"

As Gibbs and Maci rode the elevator to the parking garage neither said a word. Gibbs walked her to her car and held open the door for her as she climbed behind the wheel.

"What time does the team normally get here in the morning?" She asked as she buckled her seatbelt.

Gibbs closed the door and answered her. "I get here at around six-thirty, the team between eight and eight-thirty. Maci, you know you don't have to be here as early as us,"'

Maci started the car and laughed. "I have a one-year-old that wakes me at dawn. It's not like I'm not already awake. See you tomorrow Agent Gibbs,"

As she pulled away, Gibbs ran a hand over his face.

Not only was Maci beautiful but she was also smart and very sweet. He was so screwed.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Gibbs arrived at work exhausted. He had tossed and turned all night. Images of a red headed beauty dancing around inside his sleep deprived mind.

As he was parking his Charger in his usual spot a familiar red Volvo pulled into the space beside him.

Stepping out of his car he made his way to the driver's side of Maci's car.

When he opened the door for her and she stepped out, he noted that she looked more exhausted than he felt. He had to hold back a laugh when he saw that she was clutching an extra-large Caf-Pow in the hand that wasn't holding a leather notebook.

"Rough night?" he asked as he nodded at her caffeine overdose in a cup.

Maci laughed and nodded as the two made their way to the parking garage's elevators. "You could say that. I was up until midnight finishing a sketch for my show TGS. We go live tonight and one of our normal writers is out sick and they needed it for rehearsals today. Didn't get to bed until well after one and then William woke me at four. Apparently, daybreak is his new favorite playtime."

Gibbs chuckled as they stepped onto the elevator and he pressed the button that would take them to the offices of NCIS. "William is your son, I take it?"

A bright, proud smile lit up Maci's face as the elevator started ascending. "Yeah, he's the light of my life but he can be a handful. He just started walking last month and now he's into everything. Our poor cat's in hiding because he's taken to chasing her and pulling her tail."

The doors opened and the two of them made their way through the empty offices and to Gibbs's desk.

Setting his coffee on the desk, he sat in his chair and reclined back while Maci perched on the end of his desk. Her long legs were encased in a pair of white skinny jeans and were just within reach. It took all of his willpower to keep his hands to himself. Maci couldn't be any older than twenty-five. He was fifty-years-old. She wouldn't be interested in him and he shouldn't be interested in her. She was too young.

"Remember when my daughter was just starting to walk and talk." Gibbs smiled fondly. "Overnight that kid was getting into anything she could get her hands on," He had no idea why he was sharing this with her and was shocked to find that thinking of Kelly caused him no pain. All he could feel was happiness at remembering a happy time with his only child.

Maci laughed. "That's Wills right now. How old is your daughter?"

His smile faded and he knew it. "Kelly and her mother died twenty years ago. Kelly was eight."

He grabbed his cup of coffee and took a sip to gain a little bit of control over himself. Why the hell had he told her that? His team didn't even know about Shannon and Kelly. Maci was almost a total stranger.

He set his cup back down but before he could pull his hand away, Maci covered it with her own much smaller one.

"That's horrible. I would say I'm sorry but you've probably heard that enough over the years. I lost my little girl too and I know those words mean nothing," She confided.

Gibbs took her, and himself, by surprise when he flipped the hand she was holding palm up and interlaced their fingers. "What happened to your daughter?" He asked softly.

Maci took a deep breath and began her story. "Her name was Annabeth and I had her when I was eighteen. Her father and I were young but we loved each other. We grew up in this small town in Kansas where jobs are really hard to come by. Whitney's parents owned a local sporting goods store and I was raised on a farm. He wanted to give me and Annabeth a better life. He joined the Marines the minute he turned eighteen. We were married at the local courthouse the day before he deployed to Iraq. He was killed in a firefight when I was seven months pregnant. Annabeth never got the chance to meet her daddy. She was a sickly baby from the word go. When she was two the doctors diagnosed her with leukemia. No matter what they did the disease just kept progressing. I held her in my arms as she took her last breath. It was four days before her fourth birthday. We buried her next to her father in Smallville." She extracted her hand from his and pulled her wallet out of her purse. She handed it to Gibbs so he could look at her flap of pictures.

One of the pictures was of a little girl in Dora the Explorer pajamas, sitting on a wooden rocking horse in front of a Christmas tree with a big smile on her face. She had the same violet eyes as her mother. The red scarf around her head gave away the fact that the happy little girl was seriously ill.

Gibbs didn't know what to say. Here was a young woman who had lived through much of the same pain that he himself had lived through. She had trusted him with her story and he found himself wanting to repay that trust in kind.

What the hell was he getting himself into?


	3. Chapter 3

The next picture in the flap was of a baby boy with blonde hair and green eyes giggling in a highchair. Gibbs couldn't help but smile a little.

"You make beautiful babies, Maci," He told her truthfully as he handed her wallet back and reached into his back pocket for his own. He pulled out the picture of Kelly that he always carried with him. It was his favorite. It had been taken on her eighth birthday. He was standing behind her with his arms draped loosely over her neck and she had a bright, happy smile on her face.

Maci looked a little flushed as she reached out and took the tattered photograph he passed her.

Staring at the photograph, she smiled. "She's beautiful Gibbs. It seems like you enjoyed being a dad."

He nodded as he took the photograph back and put it back in its place in his wallet. "I loved being Kelly's dad. I wanted a whole houseful but after Kelly, Shannon was never able to conceive again,"

"Did you ever think about remarrying and having more children?" She asked gently and Gibbs had to hold back a laugh.

"I did remarry...three times," He said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Each was a mistake from the get-go so the subject of children never got the chance to be brought up. I was trying to get back what I had lost and picked the wrong woman every time. What about you? Did you ever remarry after Whitney? And I know it ain't polite...but how old are you, sweetheart?"

Maci gave a humorless laugh. "I'm twenty-nine and I haven't met anyone I loved enough to remarry. William was the product of a drunken mistake I made with a man that I had been warned to stay away from."

Gibbs cast a glance at the clock on the wall. "We've still got almost an hour before the rest of the team drags themselves in. I enjoy talkin' to ya and I'd love to listen if you feel like sharin'."

He was shocked to find this to be true. He found himself wanting to know everything about the woman who managed to get him to share more with her in half an hour than he had with three previous ex-wives combined. Finding that she wasn't as young as he thought, still way younger than him but not a baby seemed to stoke the fires of his attraction...but it seemed to be more than that. And that scared the hell out of him.

Maci smiled and told him her story. "I already told you that I grew up on a farm in Smallville, Kansas. My parents were killed in the meteor shower that struck the town in 1989 and I was raised by my Aunt Martha and Uncle Jonathon. Their son, Clark was adopted right around the same time and they raised us like brother and sister. Clark was fifteen and I was fourteen when Clark saved the life of a man named Lex Luthor after he drove his car off of a bridge and into a river," A look passed through her eyes that told Gibbs that there was much more to that story but it passed quickly. He made a mental note. "Lex was only a few years older than us and we all became really good friends. Lex comes from money and Clark and I were farm kids but our friendship has always worked. When Annabeth was sick, Lex moved mountains to get her the best possible medical care. After I lost her and moved to New York to work at NBC, Lex made a point of stopping in to take me out whenever he was in town on business. He wouldn't let me shut myself away from the world. Almost two years ago, I was Lex's date at this charity fundraiser because his wife, my friend Chloe, was sick. I noticed this cute blonde guy looking me up and down. Lex told me the guy's name was Oliver Queen. They had gone to boarding school together and Oliver loved to make Lex's life hell. Lex warned me to keep clear of him because Oliver thought we were a couple and would try picking me up to get under his skin. I didn't listen and let Oliver sweet-talk me into going back to his hotel with him. I found out I was pregnant a month and a half later. When I told Oliver, he actually tried to pay me to make the problem go away. Lex felt like the whole thing was his fault so he stepped in with his lawyers. I waived any claim to financial support and in return, Oliver signed away all of his legal rights to William." She shrugged but it was obvious that she was uncomfortable being this honest about her past.

Gibbs shook his head. "I don't understand how a man could walk away from his own kid,"

"Some people just shouldn't be parents," Maci replied but he could feel her pulling away from him and damn it if he didn't want that to happen. "Now, I should probably go over some questions that I'm going to ask when the camera crew gets here if we are going to have this project wrapped on schedule."

He leaned back in his chair, "Fire away," He told her as her cell phone began ringing.

She held up a finger and answered with a roll of her eyes when she saw her caller I.D.

"What do you need, Tracy?" She sighed. "No, you have to read the lines as written. Because Liz is right, you can't say that word on the air." He watched as she made a fist in frustration. "This isn't a male versus female thing. Jenna can't say that word on air either. Because it's offensive Tracy! Fine, go talk to Jack! I don't care!" She hung up.

"Sorry, give me one more minute." She smiled apologetically.

Gibbs wasn't going to lie, this was kind of amusing to him.

He watched as she hit the speed dial on her phone.

"Hey, Liz, yeah, the psychopath just called me." She chuckled weakly. "You might want to have Kenneth in the censor booth during the broadcast tonight because I have a feeling there is no reasoning with him unless Jack can get through to him. And can you have someone check my office for snakes before I get back? Just something Tracy said,"


	4. Chapter 4

The rest of the day conversation was kept to NCIS related topics. Well, Maci tried to keep all conversation to NCIS related topics but DiNozzo kept trying to flirt with her.

After accompanying the team, with camera crew in tow to the scene of a murder of a Navy seaman as well as on their rounds of questioning suspects; all the while fielding phone calls from Tracy Jordan demanding to know why he wasn't allowed to say See-You-Next-Tuesday on live network television, Maci was ready to strangle Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. He just couldn't take a hint and what was worse was the fact that he was doing it in front of everybody – the team, the camera crew, even his boss!

Maci knew that Gibbs was aware of what was going on because she had caught the older man slapping DiNozzo upside the head numerous times throughout the day. It seemed an odd form of reprimand to her but she had to admit that it was effective and she was considering using it on Tracy and Jenna. Every time Gibbs did it, DiNozzo would chill out with the pick-up lines for an hour or two.

Maci took a seat at Gibbs desk while he was down speaking to Abby, the team's oddly lovable forensic tech. She was trying to organize her notes from that day before she sent them by messenger to New York with the footage that had been captured...after the Director approved its release of course.

She had just gotten off the phone with her boss, Jack Donaghy. He wanted the production time for the documentary to be cut down from eight weeks to just four to save money and to get her back into the TGS offices as quickly as possible to help control Tracey and Jenna.

Her mood was already sour and DiNozzo had barely laid his hands on her shoulders to massage them when she felt her self-control finally snap. She jerked away from him and jumped to her feet.

She ground her teeth together and glared daggers at him. "Don't you ever put your hands on me without my consent." She told him in an unnaturally calm and icy tone of voice. "I don't know how to get it through that thick skull of yours that I am in no way interested in you as anything more than a friend and right now I don't even want to be that. I don't like you very much as a person right now, you chauvinistic pig. And just so you know, even if I was looking for romance, which I am most certainly not, you wouldn't even be on my damn radar. Now are you going to knock it the hell off with the flirting or do I need to go and get the words 'BACK OFF' tattooed to my forehead?" She put her hands on her hips.

"He gets the point, Maci," Gibbs appeared next to his desk.

Apparently, he had heard the whole thing. "Don't you DiNozzo?" He sent a hard glare at the agent in question.

"Yes, sir, I do," DiNozzo started moving backward towards the elevators. "So, so, sorry, Maci. My bad. I'm just going to go ahead and head out now boss," He reached behind him and started hitting the elevator call button repeatedly.

Shaking his head, McGee stood to catch the elevator. Swinging her messenger bag over her shoulder, Ziva gave Maci and Gibbs a quick wave as she too made to join DiNozzo and McGee just as the elevator doors opened and they all piled inside. Nobody noticed the sly smirk of satisfaction on DiNozzo's face as the elevator doors closed.

Once the doors closed and they were alone in the empty bullpen, Gibbs turned his full attention to Maci just in time to see her wipe a stray tear away.

"Are you okay?" He asked her gently as he stepped closer.

"Yeah," She gave him a watery smile. "I'm sorry for making such a scene in front of your team. I'm usually pretty good at controlling my temper. I have no idea what's wrong with me today," She looked to the ground, finding her feet rather interesting.

Reaching out and gently grasping her chin in his hand, Gibbs forced her to look at him. "DiNozzo was being an ass and you had every right to say what you did. Me and him will be havin' a long talk come Monday morning about boundaries. And as for why you're not in control of your emotions, I can tell ya what's wrong. You're exhausted. You need to get some rest this weekend. Get your things, I'll drive you home,"

She shook her head and pointed at her computer and the headset that sat beside it. "TGS goes live in thirty minutes and my boss arranged with Director Vance for me to get the satellite feed here." While the team had wrapped their case quickly, it was still almost eleven.

He nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Alright, how do you take your coffee?"

She looked at him in confusion.

"I'm stayin' 'till you finish the show and then I'm givin' you a ride home," He informed her bluntly.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "I drove myself here, Gibbs, and I'm staying in a rental house close to Norfolk," Norfolk was almost two hours away.

He shrugged and gave her the half-smile that she was admittedly becoming a little addicted to. "I'll bring you to pick up your car tomorrow,"

He didn't seem to care about the distance.

"William needs his mom home in one piece, now how do you take your coffee?" He raised a challenging eyebrow at her.

She smiled a little. "Light and sweet,"

He took her by surprise when he lightly kissed her cheek before turning to leave.


	5. Chapter 5

"Live from the stages of 30 Rockefeller Center in New York Ciry this is The Girlie Show with Tracy Jordan!" Maci spoke into her headset to open the show just as Gibbs arrived back with their coffee.

He handed her one and sat back in his desk chair as she paced the bullpen, constantly glancing at the live feed of the show and surrounding studio that was playing on her laptop.

"Liz, Tracy is breaking character again, he just took off his Obama ears." She glanced at the screen as she heard Liz, the show's head writer trying to get Tracy back on script over her headset. She chanced a glance at Gibbs. He was watching her intently but she couldn't for the life of her even guess at what he was thinking. Checking the feed again, she sighed in exasperation. "Pete, double check Jenna's costume for the alien go-go dancer skit before she gets to the stage. Looks like she's jealous Tracy is getting attention and is going for an on-air nip slip."

She heard Gibbs chuckle and even she had to admit that she sounded a bit ridiculous. Directing Tracy and Jenna was like babysitting two very troublesome toddlers.

When the show was over, she took off her headset and threw it down on the desk with a sigh. As stressful as that was, it was nowhere near as bad as it would have been if she was in the studio. She had been thinking of giving up her executive producer credit and just being a co-producer by telecommuting for a while now. She was a small town girl and New York was starting to suffocate her...and she didn't want William growing up in a concrete jungle.

"Looks like you're thinkin' pretty hard over there, sweetheart," Gibbs' voice cut into her thoughts.

Why did he keep calling her sweetheart? Why did he want to give her a ride home for that matter? Was he just one of the world's last truly decent men or was there a hidden reason for his actions? She was young enough to be his daughter and she knew it. That didn't stop her from feeling a strong sexual pull towards the older man...but the pull wasn't just physical. That is what scared her. The last time she had felt this way she had conceived Annabeth on her prom night...and lost her father less than a year later. When you got close to people, you ran the risk of losing them. She had lost Whitney, Annabeth, even her Uncle Jonathon to a heart attack the previous year. Then there was that time where she had spent months thinking her best friend Chloe was dead only to find out that her death had been faked for her protection. She couldn't open herself up to that kind of pain again. But, who was she kidding? Gibbs probably looked at her like a daughter. He wouldn't be interested in her even if she wasn't scared to death.

"Thinking about career changes," She replied as she packed up her computer in her large purse.

She was astonished when he reached out and took the purse out of her hands, her leather notebook as well. She only knew three men and one adopted alien in her lifetime willing to carry a woman's purse – Whitney, her late uncle, Clark, and Lex. They were the four greatest men that she had ever met. She let herself smile a bit.

"What kind of career changes?" He asked as he reached out with his free hand and interlocked their fingers. He started leading her to the elevator. He nodded for her to press the call button.

"Giving up being an executive producer on TGS and just telecommuting to get the hell out of New York," She hit the call button as she tried to control her breathing. Why was he holding her hand?

"Where would you move?" He asked her as the doors opened and he gently pulled her inside the lift.

"I was thinking of staying in Norfolk. I've kinda fallen in love with the area and the house I'm renting," It was a New England clapboard-style house with six bedrooms that sat right on the water and had its own private dock. "I'm hoping the owners will consider selling,"

He gave her a full blown grin that wrinkled the corners of his eyes as she said this.

"That's good to know...means it will be easier to get to know ya," Even Maci couldn't deny the flirtatious undertone that ran through his words.

"Do you want to get to know me?" She asked tentatively.

She had to be sure what was going on.

He gently tugged on her hand and pulled her into his side. He wrapped an arm around her waist and leaned down to whisper huskily in her ear, "Very much, sweetheart,"

She was so screwed.


	6. Chapter 6

The drive to her house was made in comfortable silence with only the sound of the country music coming from the radio to fill the void. Gibbs kept her hand in his the entire way. Neither said a word until they were parked in the driveway of Maci's rental house.

Gibbs turned to look at her as he killed the engine.

"I wanna make sure that we're on the same page," His words were soft but forceful.

"What do you mean?" She was pretty sure they were already on the same page.

"You know what I mean when I say that I wanna get to know ya, right?" He reached out his hand and tucked a piece of her red hair behind her ear.

"That you're attracted to me..." She started but he interrupted her.

"It's more than that," He shook his head. "Am attracted to you without a doubt but I've been attracted to a lot of women," He stated with no shame. "There's something between the two of us...and I'm pretty sure you feel it too,"

She nodded her head in confirmation. If he was being honest about how he felt, she would do the same in turn.

"I don't wanna fling that will be over the second you wrap filming," He reached out and traced her jaw with his hand. "I wanna a real shot with you, sweetheart. The last time I felt this way I got everything I ever wanted...even if it didn't end in happily ever after. If I'm lucky enough to be given this shot twice, I'm not going to be stupid enough to pass it up,"

Her heart clenched. She really wanted to open herself to having a shot with him but fear was still holding her back. Loving meant losing in her world...and even if it didn't, what about the secrets she carried? How could she tell him that her cousin was an alien the world knew as Superman? That her son was fathered by the Star City vigilante known as the Green Arrow? He worked for the government and that is IF he believed her at all. There was a chance he would just think she was insane.

"What is it, Maci?" He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Talk to me," He ordered gently.

"I have a lot of secrets," She told him genuinely.

"What, do you know Superman's secret identity?" He teased her jokingly...or that's what he thought he was doing.

Surprise or fear or both must have registered on her face at his seemingly innocent joke because he pulled away from her and rubbed a hand over his face.

"Damn," She heard him mumble. "I was jokin',"

Maci was gripped by a feeling of panic. Now he knew that she knew who Superman really was. This wasn't going to end well. For her or Clark.

Finally, he turned to face her again. "You don't have to tell me," He told her softly. "Not if you don't want to,"

The panic subsided a bit but she didn't let her guard down. "I don't?" She asked.

He shook his head and reached for her hand again.

"I understand why you would be scared to tell, me especially." He acknowledged. "I don't have a problem with Superman and I wouldn't turn him into the government," He admitted. "You can tell me when you're ready – or never, I really don't care. That has nothing to do with you and me,"

Her heart soared and she let herself believe just a little bit.

"Oliver Queen is the Green Arrow," She tested him.

She watched as he processed this information before he shrugged.

"I don't have jurisdiction in Star City and as long as he stays away from you and William, I don't have a problem with him,"

She allowed her lips to curve up into a smile. He was telling the truth.

"You don't mind that I'm so much younger than you?" She addressed the last elephant in the room.

He snorted out a laugh. "I should be askin' you if you have a problem being with such an old man,"

She shook her head and said coyly, "Not old, just distinguished,"

He looked at her and smirked, "You givin' me a chance, sweetheart?"

She was still terrified of opening her heart up but she decided that she was ready to try.

"How about after we go and pick up my car tomorrow you stay and have dinner with me and William?" Was her answer.

He gave her an authentic smile and nodded. "I'd like that,"

"My nanny's off on the weekends," She warned. "So Wills will have to come with us to get my car,"

"I look forward to meeting the little guy," He gave the perfect response.

She couldn't help herself. She leaned forward and chastely kissed his lips before getting out of the car and slipping inside the house.


	7. Chapter 7

William was in bed for the night and his nanny, Lucy, was passed out on the couch when Maci quietly entered the house.

Shaking Lucy awake, she sent the younger woman out to her room in the guesthouse and locked up the house for the night. Making her way upstairs, she checked in on William before going to her room and slipping into the ensuite bathroom for a shower.

After slipping into an old pair of sweatpants and a tank top, she climbed into bed. As she was reaching over to turn out the light, she noticed the light on her cell phone flashing indicating that she had a message.

Curious who would be texting her so late, she opened the message and smiled.

***Got your number from the Director the first day...hope you don't mind me using it.***

She laughed softly. It was Gibbs.

***Surprised an old man like you knows how to text, Gibbs.***

She gently teased him.

It took him a while to text back.

***Abby taught me. And don't you think you should call me Jethro?***

She wondered how long it took him to type that out. He still had a flip-phone.

***Well, Jethro, what can I do for you? I know you couldn't have made it home by now...***

He had dropped her off less than two hours earlier.

***I only live about forty-five minutes away from you, sweetheart. I've been home for almost an hour. And maybe I just wanted to say goodnight?***

She was surprised. She thought he would live closer to the NCIS offices.

***That was very sweet of you.***

She texted him truthfully. Again it took him a little while to respond and her eyes were starting to droop.

***I can't wait to see you tomorrow, sweetheart. I'll come by around eleven. Close those beautiful eyes and get some sleep. Sweet dreams.***

She smiled and text back lazily.

***See you tomorrow, Jethro. Sweet dreams. XOXO***

She didn't care if it was juvenile to end a text with XOXO. She was overtired. That combined with her happiness that was caused by a certain silver haired NCIS agent was making her a little giddy and silly.

She was beyond stunned when she received one last text from Jethro.

***I'll give you lots of X's and O's tomorrow, sweetheart.***

She fell asleep with a stupid grin on her face.


	8. Chapter 8

She awoke with the first rays of daylight and her son. After feeding him a breakfast of oatmeal, bananas, and milk, she settled on the sofa with a cup of coffee while her son rode around the living room rug on his favorite toy tractor (a gift from Uncle Clark, of course).

She sighed and shook her head as she watched him attempt to run over their cat, Pepper.

Looking at her cell phone sitting on the table, she thought about texting Jethro. Looking at the clock, she saw that it was a little after eight. Figuring that the man was an early riser, she grabbed her phone and took a video of William's second attempt to hit the cat and inserted the video into a text message before composing the rest of the message.

***So, Wills is in a dangerous mood this morning.***

She was watching Pepper jump onto the bookshelf out of harm's way when her cell phone went off.

***Wish I was there to enjoy the entertainment.***

She had a sudden, out of character idea, and her heart started beating rapidly in her chest.

***We're just lazing about in our P.J.'s. Why don't you come and join us?***

He was on her doorstep less than an hour later. He smiled when she answered the door with William on her hip.

Dressed in a pair of baggy gray sweatpants and a white tank top, she had her hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun and her perfectly manicured feet were bare. There was not a ounce of makeup on her porcelain skin. She looked more breathtaking than he had ever seen her.

The baby she carried in her arms wore a Star Wars onesie over his diaper that read, The Force That Awakens You and was sucking happily on a bottle.

"Mornin'," He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her cheek.

He had to chuckle when William pulled his bottle out of his mouth and leaned forward and kissed his mother's other cheek, mimicking his actions.

"Morning," She giggled and wiped baby spit off of her cheek. "Come in," She stepped aside to allow him room to enter.

She led him into the living room and set William on his feet. With his bottle hanging from his mouth, his teeth clutching the nipple, he toddled off towards his tractor. Pepper jumped on top of the TV stand in advance.

She took a seat on the couch and he joined her.

"This isn't going to work," He shook his head and her heart sank. He reached out and pulled her to sit cuddled against his side. He dropped a quick kiss to her lips. "Much better,"

She froze in his arms.

"What's the matter?" He asked in her ear.

"I'm not sure how comfortable I am showing affection in front of William." She admitted. "I don't want to be one of those single mothers who bring men in and out her kid's life." She shook her head and tried to pull away.

He wouldn't let her. He tightened his arms around her to prevent her from escaping.

"You're not," He kissed her forehead. "You're a mother who is showing her son what a healthy, happy, serious relationship between a man and a woman looks like,"

She looked up at him and considered him for a moment. He had no idea what was going through that pretty head of hers.

"Really?" She asked softly.

"Really," He nodded and pulled her into a gentle, innocent kiss.

"Okay," She leaned her head against his shoulder and laughed when she saw William trying to load all of his blocks in the small plastic trailer connected to the back of his tractor.

Gibbs had forgotten what it was like to spend lazy Saturday mornings this way. He had forgotten how much he enjoyed it.


	9. Chapter 9

They didn't get around to picking up her car until well after three. They had been enjoying their lazy Saturday morning too much to interrupt it in a hurry. By the time they arrived back in Norfolk, it was well after five and too late to really worry about cooking.

They ordered take-out from a small diner Maci recommended and sat on the back porch to eat. A baby safety gate ran along the length of the porch so William toddled around playing, coming to steal bites of the mashed potatoes his mother had ordered for him whenever the mood struck him.

Jethro couldn't help the smile that came over his face as he watched Maci care for her son. He also couldn't help the worry at her tired appearance.

"You didn't get much rest last night," He commentated as he took a bite of his roast beef sandwich.

She just shrugged his obvious concern aside. "Wills gets up early and you know I got in late,"

He shook his head. "What am I gonna have to do to get you to rest?"

"Tie her, sedated to a bed in a soundproof room," The reply came from the bottom of the porch steps.

Jethro turned to look and found a bald man around Maci's age wearing a finely tailored suit and a sarcastic smirk. Judging by the smile the came over his girl's face and the soft chuckle that escaped her, this man was not unwelcome.

"Lexie!" William toddled to where the stairs and baby gate met and held up his chubby little arms.

The bald man took the steps two at a time and quickly took the boy into his arms as he opened the gate to step out onto the porch.

"I thought you were going to work on him saying my name properly," The man frowned at Maci.

Maci chuckled again. "I have been. It doesn't help that Clark and Aunt Martha encourage "Lexie". Aunt Martha because she thinks it's adorable and Clark because it annoys you," She stood from her seat and gave him a quick hug. "What are you doing here?" She asked when she pulled back.

"I had a meeting at the Navy Yard. LexCorp is in negotiations to provide the steel for all U.S. military ships. I had a few hours before my plane leaves so I thought I would drop by," He shrugged.

"You have your own plane, next excuse," Maci eyed him.

Jethro laughed softly to himself. His girl was sharp.

The man stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Chloe said you sounded exhausted the last time she spoke to you and she asked me to drop by and check up on you while I was in town...I didn't know I would be interrupting...anything," He gestured to her and Jethro with one hand, his other still in his pocket.

Maci suddenly remembered her manners. "Oh, Jethro, this is my friend Lex Luthor, Lex this is Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs my..." She trailed off unsure of what to say.

Jethro knew she was fighting to find a label to use. They were in a relationship but 'boyfriend' sounded too immature. He knew that she wouldn't want to use that term.

"Her new partner," Jethro smirked slightly to himself.

That is exactly what he wanted to be. Her partner...in everything.

He watched as Lex smiled slightly in approval and held out his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Agent Gibbs," He said politely. "And as I said, short of sedating her, getting Maci to rest is nearly impossible,"

"You can call me Gibbs," He shook the bald man's hand firmly. "Maybe I'll stick around and make sure she sleeps tonight," He released his hand and looked over at Maci mischievously.

A surge of male pride rolled through him when he saw her noticeably blush.

"That might be a good idea," Lex nodded and smirked. "What do you think, Maci?"

Maci looked like she wanted to walk into the ocean and disappear.

He took pity on her and walked over and wrapped her in a hug.

"We're just jokin', sweetheart," He whispered for her ears only. "Relax,"

He felt the tension in her body give way at his words.

"Since it looks like you are well taken care of, I'm going to get going," Lex got their attention.

Maci stepped out of his arms and gave her friend a quick hug goodbye. "Thanks for stopping by, Lex," She kissed his cheek. "You going to be back around anytime soon?"

He nodded. "I'll be in and out until the deal is closed. You coming home for Thanksgiving this year?" He asked as he bent to kiss William on the head.

Maci nodded. "Of course,"

After the billionaire had taken his leave, a sudden awkward silence fell over them.

"I was jokin' about spendin' the night, sweetheart," He told her as he held out her chair so she could retake her seat.

Maci took her seat and bit her lip as she watched him retake his.

"That's not it," She shook her head slowly.

"Then what is it?" He raised an eyebrow in question.

"I kind of want you to," She admitted in barely a whisper without meeting his gaze.

He had to bite back a smile as he reached across the table and took her hand in his.

"Then I'll stay," He told her and was rewarded with her eyes on his. The violet orbs were filled with a happy gleam.

"Okay," She nodded and smiled before turning her attention to William who had toddled over for a bite of potatoes.


	10. Chapter 10

A few hours later, after William was down for the night in his crib, Maci took Jethro's hand and silently led him to her bedroom.

She closed the door and turned on the baby monitor before turning to face him nervously.

"You know I didn't ask you to stay...for...that," She turned a fetching shade of scarlet.

He smiled at her as he reached for her hand to pull her into his arms.

"I know that, sweetheart." He kissed her forehead. "I wouldn't let us rush into that anyway. You're too important to me," Again he felt her relax in his arms. He was pleased he had such a soothing effect on her. "I just want to hold you so you can get some rest,"

She pulled back and kissed him. "I'm going to go get ready for bed," She informed him and pulled away.

As Jethro lay in bed that night, Maci curled up to his front as he spooned her from behind, holding her tightly as she slept soundly, he made a vow to God. If He would allow him to keep the happiness he was unexpectedly experiencing with the mid-western farm girl, he would spend the rest of his days doing everything in his power to keep both her and her son happy and protected. He wouldn't fail to protect what was his this time around.

 

The next morning Maci awoke alone in bed. It was as she was stretching her arms over her head that she noticed the time (nine-thirty) and was gripped by a sudden panic. Why hadn't William woken her with the first rays of the sun?

She shot out of bed and into her son's room. He wasn't in his crib. Rushing into the living room she had to take a breath to calm herself.

William was fine. He was seated on the couch with Jethro who was giving him Cheerios out of a bowl he held as he watched CNN.

Memories of the night before flooded her mind. After hanging around to keep her company as she bathed William and put him to bed, Jethro had spent the rest of the night in her bed, holding her close to him. She hadn't slept that well since before Annabeth had gotten sick.

She was happy to see that he had stayed...and even happier to see him so comfortable with her son and her son with him.

As she watched William climb onto Jethro's willing lap she took a moment to drink in the sight before her. Jethro was dressed in the jeans he had worn the night before and a plain white t-shirt. He had abandoned his red hoodie in the August morning heat and his feet were bare. William lay reclined with his back against Jethro's chest with his hand in the cereal bowl. He was wearing the orange onesie with the words I Did 9 Months Hard Time across the front that she had put on him the night before but his diaper had obviously been changed...and probably a few times given the hour. The scene melted her heart and gave her hope for the future for the first time in a long time. She wouldn't mind waking up like this more often.

William spotted her first.

"Mama! Mama! Mama! Mama!" He started chanting and bouncing up and down on an amused Jethro's lap.

She laughed and entered the room. Taking a seat, she kissed her son on the cheek and cuddled into Jethro's side as he laid a kiss on top of her head.

"How'd you sleep?" He asked.

"Like the dead," She chuckled. "I think I only woke up because my brain somehow registered that I hadn't heard William and woke me up,"

"Mommy radar," She felt more than heard the deep rumble of his laughter. "The little man's been up since six. I was already up so I figured I would let you get some sleep and bring him out here." He explained.

Her heart was filled with gratitude and a little sadness. Tomorrow was Monday. Their weekend together would be over and they would have to get back to work. She wasn't looking forward to it. She liked having him in her house. But it wasn't her house, was it? Her home was an over-priced three bedroom apartment in Manhattan.

"We'll figure it out," Jethro leaned down and whispered in her ear.


	11. Chapter 11

Over the next few weeks, the two of them fell into a pattern. At work, they were nothing but professional and gave his team no clues as to the state of their relationship. When they were off the clock, they were completely different.

During their first week working as a couple, they both came to realize rather quickly that they didn’t like sleeping apart. It was Jethro who had come up with the solution.

He had pulled out Kelly’s old crib and set it up in his bedroom at his house and he had set up the guest room for Lucy.

During the work week, they stayed at his house and they drove out to the house in Norfolk to spend the weekends.

Even though they shared a bed almost every night, if he was working a hard case there was a chance that she would return home alone, they weren’t intimate until the fourth week when Maci had finally made a decision about her career and her life…and she had a boy-band to thank for it all.

It was Saturday night and the two of them were cuddled on the couch listening to Pandora on her cellphone when a song that she had not heard since she was a teenager came on.

 

When winter comes in summer

When there's no more forever

Yeah, that's when I'll stop loving you

 

I'm sure you've heard these words before

And I know it's hard for you to trust them once more

You're afraid it all might end

And a broken heart is scared of breaking again

But you've gotta believe me

I'll never leave you

You'll never cry long as I am there

And I will always be there

You will never be without love

 

When winter comes in summer

When there's no more forever

When lies become the truth

Oh you know then baby,

That's when I'll stop lovin'

That's when I'll stop loving you

That's when I'll stop loving you yeah

 

As long as sunlight lights the sky

Light of love will be found in these eyes of mine (these eyes of mine)

And I will shine that light for you

You're the only one, I'll ever give this heart to

What I'm trying to say is, nothing will change this (ahh..)

There'll be no time you won't find me there (find me there)

Cause I will always be there

You will always have all my love

 

When winter comes in summer

When there's no more forever (yeah)

When lies become the truth (ohhhh)

Well you know then baby,

That's when I'll stop lovin'

That's when I'll stop loving you

That's when I'll stop loving you

 

And when this world doesn't turn anymore

When the stars all decide to stop shining

Til then I'm gonna to be by your side

Gonna be loving you forever

Every day of my life

 

She was surprised when she felt Jethro tighten his arms around her waist.

“It’s true you know,” His voice was low and husky.

Her breath caught in her throat. “What’s true?”

“This song,” He said simply.

It took her a minute to decode what he was saying but when she did, happy tears began to slowly fall.

“You love me?” She needed to hear him say it.

“I love you,” He cupped her chin in his hand and turned her face to his. “And William, and I don’t want you to leave in a few weeks.”

She didn’t want to leave either.

“I’m not,” She told him softly but firmly. “I love you too…and I want to stay here. I’ll call Jack on Monday,”

The kiss he pulled her into was filled with more passion than she had ever felt in her life.

She was breathless when they pulled apart.

“Take me to bed?” She asked shyly.

A wolfish grin came over his face as he stood and took her hand to pull her to her feet.

“Been waitin’ to do that since the day I met ya, sweetheart,” He told her as he led her upstairs and to the bedroom.


	12. Chapter 12

Monday morning she called and resigned as executive producer of TGS. She arranged to work as a co-producer via telecommuting and she would continue her contract to produce one documentary a year for NBC.

She called her real estate agent and had her make an offer on her rental house. Much to her surprise, the owners were willing to sell.

Now it was Saturday and she was to return to New York on Monday to pack up her apartment and office. Jethro had a lot of vacation time saved up and was going along to help her.

Jethro had also decided to tell his team about their relationship. He figured since Maci and William were now fixtures in his life, he would let the cat out of the bag.

That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to have a little fun with them.

He had instructed Maci to invite the team to the house in Norfolk for a dinner party to celebrate the wrapping of filming the documentary. He wanted them to show up and figure it out for themselves. DiNozzo and Abby were sure to be entertaining he had assured her.

It was early morning and Maci was in the kitchen cooking omelets while Jethro spoon fed William a bowl of oatmeal.

It was now mid-September and the weather was beautiful. They had left the door that led from the kitchen to the patio open to let in a breeze.

As she was cutting up onions to put in the omelets, a strong gust of wind blew through the kitchen and the last secret she held was out in the open.

“Sorry to drop by unannounced so early, Mace, but Lois is driving nuts planning Chloe’s baby shower…you would think she was the one who was pregnant!” The idiot in jeans and a flannel shirt ranted without noticing the occupant of the room.

Maci dropped the knife she was holding and turned to look at Jethro’s reactions.

He didn’t appear to be in shock. His expression was unreadable as he wiped William’s face with a baby wipe before tossing it on the tray of the high chair and picking the baby up.

Once he stepped closer, Clark finally got a clue…and froze in what looked to be terror.

Maci sighed and stepped to stand between the two men.

“Jethro, this is my cousin, Clark,” This time the surprise in his eyes couldn’t be hidden. “Clark, this is my partner, Leroy Jethro Gibbs,”

“Partner?” Clark raised an eyebrow in confusion as he tentatively held out his hand.

“Romantic partner,” Maci clued him in. Her cousin had always been slow when it came to understanding subtlety.

She watched understand come over his face.

“Nice to meet you, Clark,” Jethro shook his hand. “Or should I say, Superman?” He smirked.

Yep, the look on her cousin’s face was terror. She was sure of it.

She laughed. “Relax, Clark, he isn’t going to tell anyone.” He assured.

She watched as the alien relaxed. She knew that he trusted her. If she said that Jethro wouldn’t tell, he knew she was telling the truth.

“Yeah,” Clark self-consciously rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s me. It’s nice to meet you too by the way,”


	13. Chapter 13

Maci knew from the way Jethro was looking at her that she had some serious explaining to do. He wasn't mad, but he wasn't letting this go without some kind of explanation.

“I have some explaining to do, don't I?” She asked as he passed William to Clark and wrapped an arm around her waist.

“Yes, Lucy, you do,” He kissed her temple.

“Oh, you didn't know...?” Clark finally got a clue.

Maci rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“He knew that I knew who Superman was but he didn't know that it was you,” She informed him. “Have you never heard of a phone? What if it been someone we couldn't trust, you nimrod?!” She scolded.

She had spent her whole life keeping Clark's secret and protecting him. It always pissed her off when he was careless.

Clark had the good sense to look ashamed while William had other ideas.

“Nimb bod!” He gave a cheeky grin.

“I really hope he's not tryin' to say I think he's tryin' to say,” Jethro gave a weary chuckle.

“Clark, nimb bod!” William repeated...and added confirmation of Jethro's suspicion.

“Oh, he's going to be fun to take out in public now,” This time there was no humor in Jethro's tone.

“No, Mr. Man, mama was bad. We don't say that.” She took her son from her cousin's arms.

“Mama, nimb bod!”

“Clark Kent, I swear to God that I'm going to force you to drink a kryptonite martini.” She growled.

“How about we all go out on the porch and you two can explain?” Jethro interjected sensing that Maci was very close to killing the alien that the world knew as Superman.

Maci quickly finished cooking breakfast and the small group sat at the patio table in a rather awkward silence. Jethro didn't know what to ask and Maci didn't know where to begin.

Little William, silent for now (thank God), toddled around the porch pushing a plastic play mower.

“So,” Maci pushed the fruit on her plate around with her fork. “Where should I start?”

“How you came to be raised with Superman would be a good place,” William came over and climbed on his lap so he could steal pieces of bacon off his plate.

Maci ran a hand through her hair and eyed her glass of orange juice. “I really wish I had some champagne right now,” She sighed.

There was a strong gust of wind and Clark was gone. A minute or two later, there was another strong gust and he was back...this time holding a bottle of what looked to be very expensive champagne.

He popped the cork and added a healthy amount to her orange juice as she raised an eyebrow in silent question.

“It's from Lex and Chloe's cellar,” He explained. “I left a note, they'll understand,” He shrugged.

Shaking her head, Maci took a long drink from her glass before finally getting back to explaining.

“My aunt and uncle didn't adopt Clark after the meteor shower...the found him on the day of the meteor shower,” She said pointedly.

“So...you came with the meteor shower?” Jethro addressed Clark directly.

Maci watched as her cousin nodded and a look of shame washed over his face.

“My home planet, Krypton's sun went supernova and the planet and my people were destroyed,” Clark's voice was very monotone as he spoke. “My birth parents sent me to earth to save me. When Krypton was destroyed, pieces of the planet followed my ship and came down as the meteors.”

Maci reached over and squeezed his hand. She knew her cousin carried a lot of guilt over the deaths the meteor shower caused – her parents included. He felt more guilt still for all those infected by kryptonite.

Jethro seemed to pick up on Clark's guilty conscience because he said, “Sounds like your birth parents did what any good parent would do to save their child...can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing if it were my daughter or William,” He bounced his knee, making the baby giggle.

Maci's heart nearly stopped. She looked up and caught Jethro's eye and he winked at her.

“Anyway, after the meteor shower, my parents found me in a corn field and took me home. I didn't even know that I was an alien until I was fifteen. I just knew that I was fast and strong,” He chuckled darkly.

“Let me guess...you found out the day you saved Lex's life?”

Damn, Maci thought, did he miss nothing?

Clark nodded. “Lex's car hit me going sixty miles an hour and I walked away without a scratch. I was so frustrated that when Maci and I got home to the farm I put my arm in a wood chipper.”

“That was a fun afternoon,” Maci muttered to herself before speaking up. “What Clark didn't know was that Lex had followed us home to thank him and saw the whole thing. My uncle was forced to tell three of us the truth. He even showed us Clark's spaceship.”

“My parents kept it in the root cellar,” Clark laughed.

At this, Jethro truly looked alarmed, “Please, tell me you don't still keep it there?”

Maci shook her head, “No, Lex had it moved to a secure lab years ago,”

The next two hours were spent explaining everything about Clark's powers and how he came to be Superman. By the time her cousin had left to return to Smallville, Maci was exhausted.

She had just put William down for a nap and was in the process of cleaning up the dishes when she felt Jethro come up behind her and wrap his arms around her waist.

She turned off the tap before turning in her arms and warping her arms around his neck.

“So, you're not mad at me for not telling you about Clark?” She questioned.

“Nope,” He dropped a kiss on her lips. “I understand why you didn't,” He assured her. “It wasn;t your secret to tell and you're loyal to the people you care about...it's one of the many, many things that I love about you,”

“I love you too,” She smiled as she let him pull her into a deeper kiss.


	14. Chapter 14

Published 619 Words Publish Changes Cancel 

Chapter Fourteen  
"So, how am I supposed to act around you while the team's here?" Maci asked as she finished buttoning up William's red dress shirt. He refused to wear shoes or socks but she counted his willingness to wear his black church (for when they were in Smallville and Aunt Martha made them go) pants and dress shirt as a win.

"I already told ya, sweetheart, no different than if Clark or Lex was here," Jethro told her for what was probably the fifth time in an hour. "Don't hide that we're a family," She got chills hearing him use that word. "I just want to see how long it takes em' to figure it out and who's going to be brave enough to bring it up first...my money's on Abby."

Sometimes, when Jethro spoke about his team, he sounded like a tough dad who was trying to point his kids in the right direction. She really hoped that he would be the same way with William when he was older.

"I don't know," She released William to his toys in the corner of the living room. "She kinda looks at you like a dad – she might be too embarrassed to bring it up. Ducky looks at you like an equal...my bet's on him." She reasoned.

"Loser does the dishes?" He raised an eyebrow in challenge.

Positive that she was right, she readily agreed – the dishwasher was acting up and everything had to be washed by hand prior to being load, "Deal," She walked to his side and sealed their bet with a kiss just as the doorbell sounded.

Maci kept to what Jethro had told her to do all evening. She acted the same as she would if anyone else was visiting. Her and Jethro had shared responsibility for William. Maci had made him put his pants and diaper back on when he had decided to get naked in from of the group of adults gathered in the living room. Jethro had confiscated his toy tractor after he had attempted to run over Pepper but missed and instead ran over McGee's foot. Maci was sure she heard the computer genius mutter something about a vasectomy under his breath after the incident.

They also hadn't been shy regular, everyday displays of affection. Jethro would guide her with his hand at the base of her back when she walked. He sat pressed up against her on the loveseat with his arm around her shoulders as everyone chatted. He had even pecked her on the lips before she stood to go and check on dinner. She had noticed Ziva choke on her beer at that particular display.

In the end, they both lost the bet. Their relationship hadn't been mentioned by Abby or Ducky at all. DiNozzo, of all people, was the one to bring it out into the open.

"So, I guess me flirting with Maci pushed you two kids to act, huh?" The Italian smiled cockily.

Maci's day from hell had been a set-up on the part of the goofy playboy agent the whole damn time. She wanted to wring his tanned neck. Jethro was a man of action. He would have made his move with or without Tony playing the part of annoying cupid.

"No," Jethro glared at the younger agent across the wooden table. "You flirting with Maci almost got you killed, DiNozzo,"

Oh, poor Tony. Jethro was going to make his life hell. Maci wanted to laugh. He had brought it upon himself by sticking his nose – and his hands – where it didn't belong. She couldn't wait for the stories Jethro was going to bring home from work in the very near future.


	15. Chapter 15

The following morning, Maci was awoken at dawn to the sounds of William's babbling coming over the baby monitor.

She quickly got out of bed, leaving a shirtless Jethro asleep, and tip-toed over to her son's nursery.

William was standing up, holding onto the railing of his crib with a bright, happy smile on his face just talking up a storm. It was times like this that she really wished she could understand what he was saying. It had to be interesting and entertaining if the smile on the baby's face was anything to go by. Annabeth had been just as talkative as a baby, except her daughter had enjoyed talking to the ceiling fan in their tiny apartment in Smallville. It had been above the Talon Coffee Shop, which was owned by Clark's high school crush and town drama queen, Lana Lang. Her Aunt Martha and Uncle Jonathan had wanted her to move back home to the farm after Whitney's death but Maci liked the apartment. She liked it being just the two of them.

“Good morning, Mr. Man,” She kissed William's cheek as she picked him up out of his crib.

It was as she was snapping up her son's onesie that Jethro appeared in the doorway wearing a pair of black sweat pants – he was still shirtless – and looking better than any fifty-year-old old man had a right to look.

“Mornin' you two,” His voice was still rough with sleep. He held up a bottle of milk. “I figured I'd save you a trip downstairs. I know our boy will be wanting it with his morning cartoons.”

Over the past couple of weeks, William had been waking up between five and six in the morning. It was too early for him to want breakfast – which he normally had at seven – so he cuddled in bed with her (and Jethro before he went to work) and watched Go, Diego, Go! and Olivia before they all started their day.

“Dada! Dada!” William sat up on the changing table and held out his chubby arms to Jethro.

Her son was trying to kill her. Someone must have told him about the large trust fund his Uncle Lex had set up for him because when he called Jethro Dada she was pretty sure she was on the verge of a massive coronary.

She had no clue what to do. She didn't know if, as a mother, she should allow her son to call her boyfriend Dada. She did know that she wanted Jethro to be her son's father – more than anything in the world...but she didn't know what he wanted. He often referred to the three of them as a family...but would he want to the actual title of Daddy? He had already lost one child and Maci knew better than anyone how hard it was to have another child after losing one. She knew how hard it was to love them without worrying you were trying to replace the one you had lost. It would crush her but she would understand and wouldn't hold it against him if he couldn't bring himself to do it again. She was at a loss on how to handle the situation but luckily the always dependable Jethro saved her.

He walked over and picked William up off of the changing table, “Yeah, son, I'm your daddy,” He laid a kiss on top of the boy's blond head as the baby cuddled up to his chest. “If it's alright with your mommy,” He looked up and met her eyes.

Maci wondered what she had done to deserve a man as wonderful as Jethro for and her – their – son. She wasn't about to look at a gift horse in the mouth. Her aunt and uncle had taught her better than that.

“It's more than alright...it's exactly what I want...what I've wanted for weeks.” She admitted getting a bit choked up. She really wasn't the type of woman who cried easily but she was so damn close.

Jethro set the bottle he was still holding on the changing table and held out his now free hand to her, “Come here, Mommy,” He said with more emotion than she had ever before heard in his voice.

She gave him her hand he gently pulled to him and wrapped his arm around her waist so that he was now

holding both her and their son in his arms.

“I love the two of you more than anyone else on this earth and I would do anything to keep you both happy and safe,” He vowed as he kissed her forehead.

She buried her face in his neck and let the tears of joy start to fall. “I know...and we love you too...Daddy,” She spoke into his skin, skin that was slowly getting drenched in her tears but he didn't seem to care...he just hugged her closer to him.

William was the one who decided that things were getting a bit too heavy. He lifted his head off of Jethro's chest and demanded, “Dada, baba!” He pointed at the changing table, poking Maci in the eye in the process.

That did it...both of his parents started laughing.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is almost completed. Only two more chapters after this one. I wanted to give you one more chapter from Gibbs' POV so...enjoy!

Before they knew it, Christmas was upon them. They had been living together as a family for months. They no longer spent the weekdays at Jethro's place. With Maci now working from home, he had decided to make the nearly two-hour commute to work every morning so she didn't have to lug William and her million and one notebooks – full of script ideas for TGS and production notes for her documentaries – back and forth every week. He hadn't told Maci yet, but he had spoken to a real estate agent about putting his house on the market. The life he led with Maci and William was routine and completely average...and he loved it and wouldn't want to give it up for the world. Over the past month, he had been doing a lot of thinking and soul-searching. He would always love Shannon and Kelly, just like Maci would always love Whitney and Annabeth, but it was well past time for him to move on. He was tired of simply playing family. He wanted to make them a real, legal family. They already had their toes in the water but now it was time to jump in.

One hand held Maci's while his other was inside his pants pocket fingering the velvet ring box that he had been carrying around ever since he bought the damn thing. They were standing by the baggage claim at Dulles International Airport waiting on his father.

Maci had managed to do the impossible at Thanksgiving. She had won over his old man. His father had not liked a single one of the women that he had married after Shannon but his girl won him over with ease. Upon learning of his strained relationship with his father, and after calling and speaking to her aunt, Maci had taken it upon herself to call the old man up and introduce herself. She had invited him to join them at her family's home in Smallville for Thanksgiving dinner and wouldn't take no for an answer. When Jackson Gibbs arrived in Kansas and saw that Maci was a small town kid with the same sense of family and the same homespun values as his son he was beyond happy. He adored Maci's aunt, Martha, a true mother hen at heart. When Maci had set little William in his father's lap and introduced him as his grandson, his pop had been sold. Now, he was coming to spend Christmas with them at their place in Norfolk. Maci's family would be arriving the next day, Christmas Eve.

“I told you two that I would take a cab,” Were his father's first words to them as he came slowly walking over to them after retrieving a suitcase that was probably older than his son off of the luggage belt. “There was no need to trouble yourselves.”

Jethro rolled his eyes and reached out and took his father's bag.

“Nonsense,” Maci gave the old man a hug. “We wanted to. It's great to see you, Jackson.”

“It's great to see you too, honey.” Jackson clapped his hands together in front of him. “Where is my grandson?” He demanded to know.

“He's at home with Abby, Pop,” Jethro answered as they started making their way out of the airport. “He's getting over an ear infection and we didn't want to bring him out in this cold.” A cold snap had moved in over night.

“Sensable,” Jackson nodded as they reached the parking lot. “Is Abby joining us for Christmas?”

“Yeah, her family all have plans this year,” Maci responded as they arrived at the car.

When Jethro had learned that the woman that he loved like a daughter was going to be alone for the holidays he hadn't hesitated to invite her over to spend Christmas with them. They were family after all. Maci had been all for it. Abby had very quickly grown to be one of his girl's closest friends and one of William's favorite people. Another perk of Maci working from home was that she could also be with William. They had let Lucy go a few months prior and the guesthouse was now free. Maci had turned into a demented Christmas elf and decorated the entire place with strings of spider web lights, fake cobwebs, and a miniature Christmas tree on the table next to the bed decorated with nothing but a string of purple lights and The Nightmare Before Christmas ornaments. Needless to say...Abby had loved it and nearly hugged Maci to death. Jethro was pleased that his girl could see past Abby's tattoos and weirdness to the true sweetheart that the woman really was deep down inside.

The rest of the team would also be joining them on Christmas Eve for dinner to exchange gifts. When he invited them over after so many years of being a Grinch, DiNozzo had almost fallen out of his chair and McGee looked like he had swallowed his own tongue. Though shocked, they had all agreed to come.

Maci had made sure to take everyone into account when planning Christmas Eve celebrations. She had filled stockings with homemade fudge and cookies and she had purchased a small gift for everyone. For Duckie, she had purchased a small goose to cook along with their turkey because he had mentioned that his mother used to make one every year. Knowing that Ziva was Jewish and that Hannukah started on December 24 that year, she had gone online and purchased a small stone, electric menorah. She wanted Ziva to be able to light the first night's candle without it blowing out when she took the menorah home with her.

Seeing how much trouble his girl had gone through for his family and his friends made him to eager to know that answer to the question that he was going to ask her in front of all of them on Christmas Eve.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is going to be told from Maci's POV from here on out.

Later that night, after pleasant dinner with Jethro, Abby, and Jackson, Maci put William to bed for the night and made her way next door to the master bedroom. This was the first time since they had picked Jackson up from the airport that she would get to have Jethro alone. She wanted complete privacy because, boy, did she have something private to share with him.

He was already in bed when she arrived and quietly shut the door behind her. He was shirtless and leaning up against the headboard looking good enough to eat and waiting for her...like he always did when he wasn't working a case and they were able to go to bed together. She had never told him but she loved that he did that.

As she climbed into bed, she noticed that he had already turned on the baby monitor that sat on his nightstand. That was another thing she loved about him. He was such a good father and he honestly seemed to love his role. A roll that it seemed he was born to play. This was an awesome quality for him to possess...especially now.

She moved to lay beside him and rested her chin on his stomach so she could look at him as she gave him the news.

“Hon, you know how I went to the doctor on Monday because my stomach's been acting up?” She led into it.

“Yeah,” He nodded as he stroked her hair with his fingertips. “You said the doc gave you the all clear but I swear I heard you getting sick in the bathroom this morning. Are you going to tell me what's wrong now, sweetheart?” He asked with true concern in his voice. He was scared of losing her. She knew that. She was scared of losing him too. The fear was caused by their past experiences and would probably never fully go away for either of them.

She moved to sit up on her knees on the bed beside him. “Nothing's wrong with me,” She quickly assured him. “At least nothing that won't be cured in another seven months or so...” She reached for his hand and placed it on her belly to illustrate her point.

It took a moment for what she said to sink in. Once it did, Jethro sat up and pressed his hand more firmly against her stomach. “Seriously?” He asked in shock.

“Seriously,” Maci nodded.

“How?”

She knew that he was going to ask that question. She had been on birth control pills after all.

“Do you remember when I had that sinus infection and I took those antibiotics?” She questioned.

“You didn't know that antibiotics can cause the birth control pill to fail,” He figured out the rest.

“Are you mad?” She was nervous. She didn't know if he wanted more children or if William was enough for him. They had never discussed it.

“Never,” Jethro said in a firm and husky whisper as he rubbed her still flat stomach with one hand and used the other to cup her cheek and gently

coax her closer. “I told you that you make beautiful babies, sweetheart,” He whispered against her lips. “How could I be mad that you're having my beautiful baby?” He said just before his lips came down on hers.

When they finally parted, Maci was left feeling warm and tingly all over and she knew without a shadow of a doubt that Jethro was happy about their baby and that he wanted him or her just as badly as she did.

“We're having a baby,” She couldn't help herself, she giggled a little bit in her happiness.

“We are,” He pulled her down to lay with him, her head upon his chest. “And in case you were wonderin', sweetheart, I wouldn't mind having one or two more with you. Just remember that I'm not getting any younger so we should do it fast.” He stunned her by saying. She had been wondering and she was ecstatic with his answer to the unasked question.

“Let's just focus on this one and talk about the rest later,” She replied.

“Good idea,” He kissed the top of her head.


	18. Epilogue

The next night, Christmas Eve, Maci eyed the odd assortment of people gathered in her living room.

There was Clark, her lovable farm boy cousin by day and superhero by night...or whenever he was needed really. He had already had to excuse himself from the party for half an hour while he helped put out an apartment fire in Metropolis. Luckily, his loud but oddly likable fiancee, Lois, was in attendance and covered for him. She claimed that she had left her cell phone at the airport and he had stepped out to get it.

There was Lex and his wife (Lois' cousin), Chloe. The billionaire who finally had somewhere where he belonged and the smart-ass reporter/computer hacker who had given him the family he had always wanted with her and the newborn little girl (Larissa) that was sleeping peacefully in her mother's arms.

Aunt Martha had shocked everyone by bringing Lex's father, Lionel Luthor (who was also known as the Devil, Satan, and the Prince of Darkness to the people of Smallville, Kansas), as her date. Neither Lex nor Clark was happy about this but they were keeping their mouths shut for her aunt's sake and were watching the middle-aged billionaire like hawks stalking prey.

Maci looked to where Jackson sat in the recliner, bouncing Henry on his knee and smiled.

She looked to Jethro's team – Abby, Duckie, Tony, Ziva, and McGee. They were all so different from one another but they all fit together like puzzle pieces.

This strange grouping of people was her family. These were the people that William and the child she carried would grow up surrounded by. If she didn't count Lionel Luther – and she didn't – she couldn't have hand picked a better family for her children.

They had just finished opening presents. William and Larissa had been spoiled beyond belief and Santa hadn't even come yet. William sat on her lap, happily playing with a farting stuffed monkey that she was going to strangle Abby for buying him when Jethro stood up from where he had been seated beside them on the loveseat.

“Everyone, I've got an announcement to make,” He called to their gathered friends and family. Maci knew what he was doing. With her doctor assuring her that both she and the baby were healthy, they had decided to share their good news. He leaned down and picked their son up off of her lap and balanced him on his hip before he continued speaking. “Last night, Christmas came early for me and Will because his mommy told me that I'm going to be a daddy again and that he's going to be a big brother,”

Jethro leaned down and whispered something to William and the baby grinned, pointed at her stomach and said, “Baby!” Jethro had started teaching him to do that as soon as he picked him up out of his crib that morning.

The entire room erupted in congratulations. Chloe had actually squealed, waking her daughter. She saw her aunt wipe away a few tears and Lois had that look in her eye like she was planning something like – God forbid – a baby shower.

Jethro held up a free hand to quiet everyone down before turning around to face her and setting their son back down in her lap. “Seeing as you gave us our gift early...I think you should get yours early too,” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a black velvet ring box before going down on one knee in front of her. He reached out and took her left hand in his. William leaned back against her chest, silently watching. It was like he knew what was happening was important and that he shouldn't interrupt his parents. “Maci Lynn Kent, I love you in a way that I didn't think that I was capable of after I lost Shannon and Kelly. You have helped me to move on and let go. You have given me another chance to be a father – first to William and now to the baby you're carrying. I know that I'm a lot older than you. I know that I might seem like a bad risk given my past. You won't be the first Mrs. Gibbs but I promise you that you will be the last. I want to give you and William my name. Will you marry me, sweetheart?” He opened the ring box to show her a simple but beautiful diamond ring.

She had to take a few deep breaths to keep from crying. She didn't care that he was older. She liked that about him. He was calmer and more experienced in the world than men her own age. And bad risk? Jethro? Never! At least not to her.

“Of course,” She nodded and let him slip the ring on her finger before he pulled her to her feet so that he could wrap his arms around both her and their son. Careful not to squish William, he kissed her properly.

“All because I flirted with her that first day! I call godfather!” She heard Tony call out.

Jethro pulled back from the kiss but he didn't take his eyes off of hers. “McGee, smack DiNozzo for me,” He instructed before leaning in for another kiss.

“On it, boss!”

She heard the sound of McGee's hand connecting with the back of Tony's head and Tony snapping, “Ouch! Down, McDoofus! Bad dog!”

She couldn't help it. She pulled out of the kiss and laughed as she leaned against Jethro while he held his little family tightly in his arms.

 

FINIS


End file.
